NOT OVER YET
A.J. Hoffman: Like it or not, you haven't seen the last of Ken Giles
Jul 13, 2018, 9:17 am
Ken Giles will be back up at some point. Bob Levey/Getty Images
There was a bit of a sigh of relief across Astros universe when Ken Giles got sent down to the minors after Tuesday night’s meltdown and the potty-mouthed tirade that followed it.
Giles, who was solid for a majority of last season, became so unreliable in the playoffs that the Astros completely went away from using him. This season has been up and down for the hard-throwing reliever. He has been flawless in save situations, but we all know that not every high leverage situation is a “save situation.” When opponents have hit Giles, they have hit him hard. In 34 appearances, Giles gave up earned runs in 9 games. Not horrible, but not exactly vintage-Mariano Rivera either. In 4 of those 9 games he gave up multiple earned runs. Any time a reliever starts to get beat up, fanbases become frustrated. Giles’ case is no different. But here is the rub.
The Astros are going to need Ken Giles.
I know, I can hear you groaning and scoffing as you read that last line. Giles still has “stuff.” He throws harder than any other Astro, and as the season goes on Houston will need someone to come in and throw heat. After seeing Cionel Perez on Wednesday night, a left hander with an upper mid-90’s fastball who has dominated at the minor league level, I have a feeling he is with the big club for the long haul.
So when Giles comes back, and I believe he will come back, who will be the casualty?
Hector Rondon is likely to be the closer with Giles gone, and perhaps will stick in that role if Giles were to return. Collin McHugh has been phenomenal this year, and provides multi-inning capability. Chris Devenski was vital down the stretch last year, and has looked strong this season. Tony Sipp, a guy who every Astros fan was ready to throw on the scrap heap last year, has been surprisingly effective. Brad Peacock has been up and down, but would likely be “next man up” if a starter were to go down. That really leaves just Will Harris and Joe Smith. Both have been frustrating, although neither has been particularly awful. The reality is, at his best, Giles just has a higher upside than those two players.
Giles will work on things at Fresno, probably both mental and physical things, and the Astros will eventually recall him and hope for him to be a piece of their playoff run. Granted, they need “good Ken Giles”, and not “hold your breath Ken Giles.” Remember that they are invested in him. It is obviously in the organization’s best interest for Giles to earn his keep in Houston.
So, enjoy your late innings for the next few weeks, Astros fans. Ken Giles will be back in Houston soon, and while his days as the 9th inning man may be done, the Astros will need him to pitch in tough situations into the fall.
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NFL insiders hint at eye-opening future for Houston Texans offense
Dec 7, 2024, 2:38 pm
C.J. Stroud faced criticism in Houston's last few games as the Texans hit a rough patch after losing just two of their first eight games.
But the second-year quarterback remained confident and his strong performance last Sunday helped the Texans (8-5) to a 23-20 win over the Jaguars to enter their bye with a two-game lead atop the AFC South.
“When he is leading and playing the way he is playing, our entire team feeds off of him,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “I am excited for his second year. I think he is showing a ton of growth, he is in a really great spot for us physically, mentally. I really love where he is and I am excited to see how he comes back after the break.”
Stroud threw for 242 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville to leave him ranked fourth in the NFL with 3,117 yards passing this season. That game came after he threw two interceptions in a 32-27 loss to Tennessee a week before for the team’s third loss in four games.
Those two interceptions brought his season total to nine, which are four more than he threw in 15 games a rookie. But the Texans aren’t worried about that statistic and believe he has grown in his second year.
“He’s made a lot of progress,” general manager Nick Caserio said. “There are some plays, like all of our players, that we probably wish he could have back, but happy he’s our quarterback, happy with what he brings to the table. ... Wouldn’t want anyone else leading this team.”
The Texans are in position to win their division for a second straight season despite dealing with several significant injuries on offense. Running back Joe Mixon missed three games early with an ankle injury and leading receiver Nico Collins was sidelined for five games with a hamstring injury.
They also lost four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs for the season when tore an ACL in Week 8.
Mixon leads the team with 887 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns and has added four touchdown receptions. His work in his first season in Houston after a trade from Cincinnati has helped the team deal with those significant injuries to the receiving corps.
Mixon ranks third in the NFL by averaging 88.7 yards rushing a game and has had at least 100 yards rushing in seven games.
Stroud has continually raved about Mixon’s contributions on and off the field.
“He’s a servant, a helper,” Stroud said. “That’s ultimately what I want to be as well. Who can I serve and how can I help? That’s ultimately what the game of football is.”
While Mixon has been the team’s most important new acquisition on offense, Danielle Hunter has been Houston’s new defensive star. The defensive end spent his first eight seasons in Minnesota before joining the Texans this year.
He has helped Houston lead the NFL with 84 tackles for loss after piling up 15 this season, which is tied for third most in the league. He also leads the Texans with 10½ sacks to help them rank second with 42.
Hunter been a great addition to a team that already had defensive end Will Anderson Jr., last year’s AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. Anderson ranks second to Hunter on the team with 13 tackles for loss and 9½ sacks.
Ryans said this week’s break is much needed for a team that opened the preseason on Aug. 1 in the Hall of Fame game.
“It’s here and we’re going to take advantage of it,” he said. “We’ve been going at it for a long time.”
The Texans need to recharge this week with a brutal stretch of three games in 10 days when they return from their bye. Houston hosts Miami on Dec. 15 before a trip to Kansas City on Dec. 21 and a visit from the Ravens on Christmas Day.
“It’s Christmas and all that, but we can’t worry about that. All we can do is focus on Miami,” Caserio said. “And then when we get through the Miami game, then we kind of turn the page to the next. ... We’re either going to earn it or we’re not. Not to oversimplify it, but that’s the truth.”
The Texans will play those game without starting linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair after he received a three-game suspension for his violent hit to the head of Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, which led to a concussion.
Al-Shaair will be eligible to return for Houston’s regular-season finale against Tennessee.